This invention relates generally to the manufacture of rubber articles. More specifically, the present invention relates to a process for manufacturing dog chew toys of the tire sidewalls of used tires.
The benefits of recycling rubber are well known. Much work has been done to devise methods of recycling rubber through reclaiming and the use of various chemical additives to revulcanize the recycled rubber. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,871 and the discussion of prior rubber reclaiming methods therein. Furthermore, there is produced each year vast quantities of ground cured rubber from operations such as the grinding of used tires and the grinding and buffing of various rubber articles such as transmission belts, conveyer belts and tire carcasses in recapping operations.
The disposal and/or reprocessing of used tires in an environmentally safe manner has proven to be a relatively expensive proposition. There has been a need, therefore, for improved methods for utilizing components of used tires in an environmentally safe manner, which the consumer finds beneficial. In this regard, advantageous use of used tire components to manufacture new articles should require a minimum of processing of the used tire components to create a product pleasing to the senses and functionally viable. A potential market for such products is in the pet care industry.
Accordingly, there has been a need for a novel process for manufacturing useful articles of tire components, which process may be utilized to efficiently manufacture such articles in great quantities at relatively low cost. As there is a need in the pet care industry for dog chew toys, there is a need to develop a process to utilize tire components to manufacture such toys. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.